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This report provides the latest information on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland are faring according to a range of indicators on health status, determinants of health and health system performance. Indicators are based on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework. The report highlights the main areas of improvement and continuing. For example, while death rates for avoidable causes and circulatory diseases have declined since 2001, just over half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers smoke during pregnancy and there has been no improvement in incidence rates of treated end-stage renal disease in recent years.

Summary

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2012 report for Queensland finds areas of improvement in the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Queensland, including:

a 32% decline in avoidable mortality from 2001 to 2010 and significant narrowing of the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people

a 30% decline in deaths due to circulatory disease, the leading cause of death for Indigenous Australians 2001 to 2010

a 41% decline in infant mortality rates from 2001 to 2010

a significant increase in health assessments recorded through Medicare since the introduction of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes in July 2009

corresponding increases in allied health-care services claimed by Indigenous Australians through Medicare since 1 July 2009. Indigenous Australians have higher rates of general practitioner management plans and team care arrangements than non-Indigenous Australians

immunisation coverage for Indigenous children is similar to non-Indigenous children by the age of 2

an increase in the proportion of pregnant women attending antenatal care

some improvements in literacy and numeracy for Indigenous students in Year 3 and 5 between 2008 and 2011.

Areas of concern include:

high rates of smoking during pregnancy (52%)

lower rates of antenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy

half of Indigenous people aged 18 and over in non-remote areas have a disability or long-term health condition

mortality rates for chronic diseases are much higher for Indigenous Australians (8 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians for diabetes and almost twice the rate for circulatory diseases)

no improvement in incidence rates of treated end stage renal disease in recent years (currently 7 times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians)

high rates of hospitalisations and deaths due to injury (particularly assault, suicide and transport accidents)

one-quarter of Indigenous Australians aged 15 and over in Queensland live in overcrowded housing

barriers to accessing appropriate health care, such as cultural competency, continue to remain a problem